El Zarape
4642 Park Blvd
(between Madison Ave & Spalding Pl)
San Diego, CA 92116 (619) 692-1652
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. - Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
230 Reviews for El Zarape
This is a very good Mexican food restaurant, for vegetarians in this case. The supreme veggie burrito is delicious. Honestly, I have no further information to give you - just eat here.
This was my first and last meal in San Diego during the week Josh and I were there. It was literally the first place we headed after landing and picking up the Zipcar. The fish tacos are amazing for only 99 cents and the scallop taco I had on the last day was probably the best taco I've ever had. I love the tortillas they use and whatever the green salsa is.
I almost gave it 5 stars...but I decided that they would either need to improve the guacamole or make it free in order to get all 5. Either way I'm going to be eating here A LOT.
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Ugh.
I expected more. I really thought that this place would be so much better. I mean, it's packed nine times out of ten and it smells really good when you walk by...all meaty, spicy and corn tortilla-y.
So, I've had a lot of Mexican food in my day, I mean A LOT. I'm a bit of a connoisseur, if you can have connoisseurs of Mexican food. I've got it down to a science. Ask me sometime, I might pass the knowledge- kind of a Yoda/ Luke Skywalker thing. Without the sweat.
Anyway, nachos are my litmus test. Every time I go to a new place I get the nachos. If you can't get nachos right, you FAIL. El Zarape FAILED. Miserably. Who puts artificial ball park cheese sauce on fucking nachos?!!! WHO? I might have overlooked it if the other components of the nachos were good...but they weren't. The meat was tasteless and gray, the salsa wasn't spicy, the veggies weren't fresh. These nachos were abysmal. You shouldn't have all the bad side-effects of Mexican food (e.g. gas and bloating) without the enjoyment, it's just wrong.
Needless to say, I won't be returning to El Zarape.
Oh wait, so Mexican food isn't supposed to come infused with edamame, broccoli, garbanzo beans, vegan tempeh bacon, gluten free tortillas and organic free range granola?
What the hell are we thinking in Portland?!?
Tragically realistic exaggerations aside, El Zarape is delicious in its simplicity -- and that goes for everything from ingredients and menu options to service and decor. I think the good 'ol NW could learn a thing or ten about the blinding science behind fish taco'ing.
Yet it's a good thing we don't have an El Zarape up in the northwest, as I can see the name "za-RAPE" posing quite the pronunciation conundrum...
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Lobster burrito + scallop taco combo
Yes, please!
Oh, and I'll take an order of your nachos- because I love the actual lava-like nacho cheese, not real grated stuff! I'd go to Seven-Eleven, but they don't have good lobster. I hear.
Favorite thing? Monday cheap drinks at Bourbon followed by El Zarap pit stop to avoid passing out.
Sigh, good times.
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This place is like an orgasm in my mouth... especially after getting tossed at Bourbon Street. Try anything here and you'll like it, but good luck getting a table. This place is crowded most of the day.
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Four years ago I loved this place. They could do no wrong, but then I started going there a lot and noticed...well, they could do wrong. First of all, the service is spotty. The girl is polite, but you always feel the "I'm going to be texting as soon as you turn away" vibe, the short guy is great and lets me practice my Spanish with him without laughing and the tall guy with glasses gives me a feeling like I'd better tip because he showed up. I've had it several times that the order is taken incorrectly or I am given something I didn't order. Sometimes the lobster in the lobster burrito would equal a lobster thumb. The fish tacos have lately been overfried. They do have good cheese nachos, since the cheese is that bad, ballpark kind. They also have Mr. Pibb, which I love and I like their decor. It's cheap though and when they get it right, it's good.
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Meh...I don't get the hype. The people are nice and service is fast. Food is okay I suppose. Maybe it's because I was raised in the Tulare/Fresno area, where the taco shop owners poop more authentic Mexican food. In my opinion, I can make better rice and I'm turbo-white. The only nice(?) thing I can say is their food is better than Fred's.
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The best part about going here is I get to see Luis. He is the greatest man ever. He's a little on the quiet side and rather intense-looking, but I love his quirkiness and he has great taste in music. And he admitted to me recently that he just makes up the order numbers. Ha.
That being said, their food is awesome. As a tree hugger, I always appreciate a good vegetarian Mexican place, and Pokez can be a bit too elitist and hipster for my taste. El Zarape has delicious soy and potato tacos and an array of tasty veggie burritos. Their low fat vegetarian burrito has been a lifesaver while I've been dieting. What the hell do they put in those beans?? THEY ARE SO GOOD. I eat here at least once or twice a week. I love you Luis and El Zarape! HIGH FIVE!
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I experience an anxiety attack every time I hit up El Zarape. I should never plan on dining in because open tables are a luxury. It would seem that people think it's OK to sit at any of the 10 small tables long after they've finished eating, this afternoon's experience confirming that. While I was waiting for my food to be ready after my order was placed, I had the opportunity to glance around the dining room waiting for someone to leave so I could sit down for my meal. I saw no less than 3 tables with people just sitting there not eating, and reading, or talking on their phone, or doing work. It's not a coffee shop y'all. Sometimes I just don't get people with their obliviousness, rudeness and sense of entitlement.
With that gripe out of the way, here's another. If you're that busy (pretty much all the time) move to a bigger location. Your business will triple. Look to Phil's BBQ as your example. I get tired of being in the way while I'm waiting for my food to be prepared, in the way of people who want to order and think I am in line, in the way of people wanting to use the soda fountain or salsa bar, or in the way of people wanting to throw out their trash. Maybe some think the smallness is charming, I think it's annoying.
Gripe 3 has to do with the actual food, though I have had some pretty tasty items in the past (squid tacos, fish tacos, aloha burritos, caeser chicken burritos), today I discovered that El Z. doesn't always serve up tasty menu items. (Did I mention these are the smallest burritos you can get in SD?). My meal today was the steak fajitas burrito, and the sauce was pasty like uncooked flour, the cheese was slimy (like non fat), and the whole thing tasted like gravy, not fajitas.
Why do I go here you may ask? Well, I do like that aloha burrito, and that's what I am going to stick with from here on out....and I'm gonna plan on placing my order to go. Sorry El Zarape, I know you have your fans, I am just not one of them.
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I had lunch with a fellow Yelper here on my day off and, I gotta say, I'm surprised I don't come here more often. Not bad at all.
I had the calamari burrito and it was very well done. Just the right amount of ingredients, wasn't too heavy, lots of flavor. The beans and rice that came along with it were good, though I thought they could've thrown in some more chips with it.
It's popularity with the locals means the wait time can be a bit, but it's nothing to get worked up over.
A good spot. I'll come back if I'm in the hood.
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If there's one thing I know growing up in Southern California it's Mexican food. I wasn't fat in my early 20's because of ho-hos and twinkies it was because of Mexican food! I personally think you can determine if a Mexican food establishment is really good or not depending on their carne asada. El Zarape was a bit dissapointing, I was really let down. I ended up ordering the 2 carne asada taco plate. The beans tasted pretty generic straight from the can...where was the lard/bacon dripping drenched artery clogging beans I long for??? My rice was dry and kind of sad looking on my plate. And finally when I come to what was supposed to be the piece de la resistance....the asada....well....all I can say was donde esta el sabor??? No esta aqui mi amigo. NADA. Que lastima.
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This place was good. The food was good, not the absolute best Mexican food I've ever had, but good nonetheless. The enchiladas were good and the tacos and rice were not greasy, which seems to be a common phenomenon. I thought the number of tables was adequate for the size of the restaurant - just don't go right at lunch/dinner time - go early or late. I also loved that they had Coke Zero as a fountain drink - so much better than diet coke!!
Hawaiian Carne Asada Burrito??? yep! With Teriyaki sauce and pineapples in it. Don't go there on a day i am going for lunch. I don't want to wait in line or fight you for a table.
xo
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The seafood selection, whole wheat tortillas, flavorful black beans and reasonable prices have earned El Zarape a spot on my weekly good-eats hit-list. While the menu is vast and impressive, indecisive types will find the plethora of combo plates a great way to try a couple items for under 10 bucks.
This weekend I made two stops at this University Heights mainstay; day one, I ordered the lobster burrito and shrimp taco combo plate. A huge burrito stuffed with chunks of tender, perfectly cooked sweet lobster flesh was worth the 9 bucks in and of itself. The taco with delightfully fresh shrimps, crumbled tart cheese and some salsa from the well-stocked, self-serve sauce bar was divine.
Day two I ordered the calamari burrito. Though it was a deal for 5.99, I wish the calamari was not of the fried variety. Versus traditional cabbage in a seafood burrito or taco, there was lettuce in the mix of fried squid, chipotle mayo and onions. Why in the hell would I want to eat soggy lettuce, hot from the fried fish? I wouldn't order this again, but the generous amount of calamari steak strips made up for the leafy green faux pas.
I'm not sure about the lunacy behind creations like the BBQ chicken burrito or Caesar burrito, but to each their own. If a date or friend of mine even thought to order one of these atrocities I'd bust a Mexican wrestling move and pop a motherfuc*er's kneecap.
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What I love about El Zarape:
... it's a few blocks away from my house
... 99 cent fish tacos all the time
... lobster burritos
... the avocado/tomatillo salsa
... the "hot" carrots
So times are tough, and where can you get a decent meal in this winter economic climate? El Zarape! I went there the other night and felt like a satiated genius:
... 2 fish tacos = $1.98
... 1 refillable cup of water w/ lime = FREE
... all the crazy yummy green sauce you want = FREE
... all the "hot" carrots you can handle = FREE
moral of the story: i ate dinner for less than $2. and seriously, how can you complain about that?
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GO here NOW. THIS place is so FUCKING AWESOME. WHY ARE MY CAPS ON? i don't know. go here for lobster burritos and $0.99 fish tacos. it's so cheap and awesome. seriously. go eat here. i love it. i want to make love to it. it's muy delicioso. voy a el zarape y comer los comidas y bebidas.
okay, seriously, try this place out. my friend introduced me to this place about 5 years ago. it's amazing. it's small, so finding a spot to sit can be hard sometimes, but it's quite good. quick service. you can call in your order too. i can't say enough great things about this place. eat there and you'll know why it's got a high rating.
also, a vegetarian friendly menu for those grass eating losers. jk i love you vegetarians ;)
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Everyone always speaks so highly of this place....
"Ohh, I had a taco for lunch today... a taco from EL ZARAPE."
'Oh wow' I would think 'This must be some sort of special Mexican joint that has been blessed by the Virgin de Guadalupe herself. Well I finally had the chance to go down there and had myself a breakfast burrito.... it was fine. No big deal though, just your regular old breakfast burrito that you can get just as good at a million other places around town. Doesn't live up to the hype but not necessarily bad.
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Ooooh how I adore this place. Living walking distance is perfect because parking can be annoying. I love the scallop tacos and the potato rolled tacos.
Last night I went for the veggie supreme burrito which was loaded with beans, cheese, guac, rice, potatoes and sour cream. I added lots of their salsa verde and yummo!
My amigo got some combo plate which was huge and came with beans, rice, a lobster burrito and a soft taco. The lobster was delicious.
Next time I will be trying the lobster enchilada or the calamari taco. They serve beer and they have self-serve fountain drinks, a mediocre salsa bar and a bounty of the ever important hot carrots.
I'll jump on board the Yelp Love-in for this place.
The lobster and shrimp burritos are both delicious. And they are both so much lighter than your standard taco shop's carne asade burrito. I also appreciated the fact that there was not much "filler" in the burritos, either.
Is it real lobster? I don't know, and probably don't care. But it tasted really good.
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The ingredients are a little better than what you get at most taco stands, and they have some tasty non-traditional fare (the traditionalist in me is loathe to admit that he loves buffalo chicken burritos). It takes a while to get your food, seating is at a premium, and god help you if you need to use the bathroom, but if you get your food to go, you won't be disappointed.
The wife's a huge fan of scallops so when I read scallop tacos was this place's specialty, I figured I'd check it out.
The food? Delicious. I had a lobster quesadilla and the wife had a scallop burrito/fish taco combo. Both of us left knowing we'd be back to further explore the menu.
The service was okay. It was a pretty busy afternoon so I guess it's cool that they pretty much had the "all business" face on. Maybe they're more friendly when they're not as busy.
The restaurant is clean for the most part, but there were still a few flies buzzing around. I guess that's to be expected when you've got the doors wide open though for a hot afternoon. I wish they had more outdoor seating. Two tables just doesn't cut it on a beautiful San Diego summer afternoon.
Decent people watching, but no mutants sighted this time out. I think the weirdest thing I saw was a dude sporting a Giorgio Armani T-shirt while taking orders. I wish I had the money to sport gear like that while working in food service....
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I really wanted to like this place but the scallop tacos and shrimp tacos just weren't all that. Maybe it takes some repeat visits to have them grow on you. I just wasn't feelin' it, dawg.
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Love it as well. We moved out of the area but still make frequent trips back. I love the calamari burrito and combo #2 - shrimp burrito and fish taco with rice and beans.
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This place is fairly near my apartment... better than Colima's in that they have chilanga salsa and--PREPARE YOURSELVES--Coke Zero at the fountain. Holy -shit-.
Good burrito for a few bucks... and they seem to be open pretty late, which is awesome. My only complaint is that ~4.50 seemed a bit much for two 21oz soft drinks, but whatever, it's not like I'm going broke for El Zarape. :p
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213 reviews? Why the hell am I even going to bother???
Yes, it is good. Not the best I have ever tasted, but I don't question the high ratings. It's cheap, it's fast, and it's relatively decent food all around. The portions are just right. Still haven't gotten on this west coast fish taco band wagon, so I can't speak to any of that, but everything I tried was pretty tasty.
My friend took my bf and I here last night for din din. Bf and I shared a lobster burrito, two fish tacos, scallop tacos and soy taco, and horchata. The lobster burrito, fish tacos and scallop tacos were off the hook. So tasty and tons of meat. I wanted to try the soy taco since I never had one before...ya was tasteless and mushy. I will not order it again. The rest of the food was very yummy and the value was excellent!
My husband and I have been going here since we moved to Normal Heights, and it's fabulous! My fave - and one that I have a hard time not ordering - is the House Burrito = mole chicken, rice and beans = awesome. They also have great pollo asada fries. BUT! Have to say that I finally tried the Lobster Burrito after reading all of these reviews, and I was a bit disappointed - too much cream sauce, not enough "stuff". Luckily, we also ordered pollo asada fries along w/ our burritos, so I indulged in that and was plenty full!
Overall - a fabulous, inexpensive Mexican place for a good value! And, for those who are crabbing about the wait (first, remember that you're not spending much here), if you're absolutely impatient, you can call in your order, walk in ahead of the line and pick it right up.
Yummmmmm....The aloha burrito is one of the best I have ever had. The only problem is the wait is a bit long at times, but def worth it!
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It was late on a Sunday night and we wanted Mexican food. I read the reviews and thought it would be good, maybe we just caught them on a bad night? I got 3 tacos; fish, shrimp, and lobster. The shrimp I tried first and out of the 5 pieces two had shell and legs still on it. Then I tried the lobster which was drenched in a mayo sauce and covered with cheese. The gross part was that they had some other kind of fishy clear liquid that tasted like they defrosted the pieces and left the drippings. Then I had the fish, it wasn't bad.
My husband had the lobster burrito, it was the same as the nasty taco I had. He also had a shrimp taco and wasn't impressed. We don't think we will go back although the menu did look like it had some interesting stuff on it. :(
My co-workers really liked this place so I yelped it and it also got good reviews. When my boyfriend and I were in the area we checked it out and were very satisfied with our experience.
I felt the amount of options were good. Vegetarian friendly as well. I got the mahi mahi taco which was good but my favorite was the lobster taco. mmmmm. Prices were decent. I like the salsa verde. Complimented my food well! My boyfriend liked his burrito as well. My recommendation would be either the lobster taco or burrito because I love lobster so much.
I'm definitely going back.
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The salsa is awesome, all three flavors! The green and the spicy are the BEST.
As far as service, quality and flavor goes...It's a taco shop...One with many unusual offerings and plenty to keep vegans and vegetarians happy. One burrito does the trick, I like beans, potato and guacamole. The potato tacos are the bomb too and not all taco shops have them these days, so El Zarape gets extra love from me for that.
Straight up:
If they screw up, they fix it, no attitude.
It's affordable, delicious, fresh and satisfying.
Suitable for veg*ns of all sorts.
I LOVE El Zarape!
I do wish they would move to a larger location though.
I do wish that customers would have enough sense to leave instead of lingering once done eating, when it is crowded and tables are scarce (which is almost always!). I don;t see a good way for the management to address that though...It's a taco shop, after all!
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I've yet to have something there I didn't like. The fish tacos are yummy (and cheap), the lobster burrito is juicy, the loaded fries are downright evil, and the salmon burrito... oh. yes.
My only complaint is the parking -- unless you're walking distance, I'd take a wingman to grab the food while you circle slowly like a starving vulture.
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Get a calamari burrito here and you will fall in love with El Zarape. The rest of their menu is great too with some vegetarian options. They use good quality ingredients and have a tasty salsa bar. Very charming interior with a good amount of seating for its size.
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This Mexican Food place has always had really good Mexican Food.
It's been a couple of years since I've been here-- so will write a more in depth review at a later point.
This is another Dog Friendly Patio... in the University Heights Business Area. I'm really starting to enjoy this area of town-- it has a small town feel to it... very relaxing place to hang out on a side walk cafe' with the dogs.
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Good prices, great selection, and oh-sweet-chili-peppers- they have vegetarian versions of most of their menu items. YUM.
I'm a big fan of their guacamole n' cheese smothered rolled tacos- the potato and soy varieties, to be exact.
Delish.
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I really want to give this place 5 stars and because it was good, but so far, not too great...
I went today... and yesterday.. and you shouldn't be surprised if I go again tomorrow.. I'm either trying to find out what their best dish is? or I really like the flavor since it is different.
First day I had lobster burrito.. the cheese and maybe sour cream(?) was a little too much but delicious nonetheless...
Today I had a scallop burrito but eh... I wouldn't have it again.. I read on someone else's review that they give a good amount, but my burritos are always wimpy and small
Besides that, the service is great.. they are so friendly and would give you your chips before the main food... chips are really hard and over cooked(?) maybe.. the hot carrots are hard too (i'm used to the mushy ones from robertos or el cotixan) but the salsa is so yummy... i tend to pour it all over my burrito and drench it! YUM
the wait is slightly long but do-able.
My girlfriends have been telling me about this place and I finally tried it.. yay!! I think you should try at least once if you like Mexican food like myself.
When I think of San Diego, I chiefly think of fish tacos. So when I landed here around lunch time today I knew exactly what I wanted. Thankfully, Ruggy knew exactly where to take me: El Zarape.
For less than $7 I got two perfect fish tacos plus rice and beans. I've tried and failed in coming up with any aspect in which these tacos could have been improved - perfectly fried fish, soft corn tortillas, fresh veggies, an exacting amount of sour cream.
The next time I land at SAN I know where I'm headed: to El Zarape for fish tacos!
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Lobster Burrito:
Drenched in white sauce, lots of cheese......just how I like it; thick, warm, and creamy......mmmmmmmmmm
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4.5 stars.
I loved the burrito selections even though I stuck with a fish batter-fried burrito. My dad got the lobster burrito and seemed to be quite the fan. The outdoor seating could have been in more abundance, but considering the weather was temperate, I could see why the spots were quickly taken. When I came in here, I expected something a little different, I don't know what I was quite expecting, but at some point I was somewhat disappointed. Great neighborhood spot though!
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